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Frank Sinatra called her "unquestionably the most important influence on American popular singing in the last twenty years". Dizzy Gillespie said, "Sucha dynamic personality, such a great stylist, the moment you heard that voice you knew it was Billie Holiday. She influenced almost every singer".
But she was ignored or, at best, underrated by the general public during her own lifetime. Billie's records from all periods in her career are selling in greater numbers than any time in their history. A reformatted and redigistised "Lady in Satin" album has been reissued in Japan and can be obtained under the Import label. It is currently in the top 10 selling Jazz album in Tower Records, London (March 1997).
Billie Holiday recorded a lot of trash in the early years of her career, yet without the support of John Hammond and Bernie Hanighen, who probably cut gut wrenching deals with music publishers, all we might have known about her would have been through the fading memories of a few musicians and 6-8 tantalising sides on rare, 78s. Later, when she was more established, Milt Gabler and Norman Granz gave her the material she deserved and the moral and financial support she so desperately needed.
Sony/CBS reissued and released a compact disc box set of her earlier recordings in 1991. I and probably many others, am quite disappointed with the sound quality of these reissues. Come on Sony/CBS sort it out!!!